The Rose
by Masamune Reforged
Summary: Heero and Duo sort out their emotions. YAOI!!! But nothing graphic.


M: So I was sitting in this Laundromat when this song came on. It's " The Rose" by Bette Midler. I hadn't heard the damned thing in years but suddenly I come home, sit down at my computer, find the lyrics and think 'Ya know what? I might as well write a songfic.' 

Wufei: Ch'. We're all in trouble now.

M: Shut up you baka! This'll be good I promise!

Wufei: And if it's not?

M: Then flame me at [MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com][1] ! If you like you could just send feedback though. Hey read the disclaimers, that's what you're here for."

Wufei: Hn, fine. Masamune doesn't own Gundam Wing, its characters, in fact he lost all his $ on the Jets-Giants preseason game last night so he's too poor to own anything.

M: Kisama!!! ::duck tapes Wufei's mouth shut and throws him back into the dark recesses from whence he came::

"I'll do this myself. As he said don't sue me, I got no rights to GW or its people. This fic contains yaoi. Don't know what it means? Then it's a wonder you found this fic in the first place. Oh yeah, Heero thinks in /underlines/ s and Duo thinks in**/bold/ **s. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Rose

__

Some say love, it is a river  
That drowns the tender reed

The Leo desperately fired away at the its enemy. Without a moment's hesitation Heero whipped Wing around and sliced through the Leo like a flimsy rag doll. The light from the explosion causes him to squint a little while over the radio he can hear Duo yelling as the Deathscythe hacks into another enemy. Heero feels his mind slip from total concentration on eliminating his foes to slight wonder at how Duo could always be so happy and full of life, even on the battlefield. Shaking his head, dismissing the thought he turns his attentions back towards the attacking Alliance Leos. He raises the mammoth Buster Rifle and fires, blowing away the remnants of the enemy force. The Deathscythe is standing nearby. Wing faces it and all is silent for a moment, then Wing's thrusters roar to life and it speeds away from the battlefield.

__

Some say love, it is a razor  
That leaves your soul to bleed

"So you're going to Libra to look for that girl?"

"Hai."

Heero disappears into the hangar containing the White Fang Taurus carrier. Duo stands outside and remains silent for a moment. Then he begins to walk back towards the Peacemillion R&R room. The others would think it weird if he were missing for too long. He'd need to explain about Heero leaving.

****

/ Why does he need to go? Can't he see that that Peacecraft girl isn't worth it? Why is she always an issue? Because she loves him?…I love him too though /

__

Some say love, it is a hunger,  
An endless aching need

****

/ I've always tried to be as supporting and as good a friend as possible for Heero. Shimatta, I wish that sometimes he'd give me something, just a scrap of emotion that says that he notices me, thinks of me, cares for…no…I'd be better off not even hoping of that from him. But I can't lie to myself. I do care for him, its just that…/

Duo's lay in his room, wondering whether God had sent Heero to him as a curse or a blessing, sometimes it seemed both. He looked out from one of Peacemillion's windows into the dark cavities of space. He sighed.

"Ai shiteiru Heero."

__

I say love, it is a flower,  
And you its only seed

****

/ Without you, Heero Yuy, I am as empty as Death itself. If it hadn't been for this awful war then I probably would have never met you…can you imagine that koiboto? Shimatta I really wish I could call you that some day, not just in my fantasies. I always nag you because I want you to show something, anything, to me other than your stolid coldness. I know that's not who you really are though, its just the mask you put on the outside, it doesn't make you any less beautiful. I love *you* Perfect Spandex Soldier! Kisama! Why do you have to be such a bastard sometimes and so wonderful at others? /

__

It's the heart, afraid of breaking,

The safehouse was too damn quiet. The air was more dense and although Heero had been able to already spend three straight hours of work at his laptop he had gotten surprisingly little done. Time to time he would look about the room to see why the situation seemed so strange…oh yeah…Duo and Trowa were out on a mission. The mountainside safehosue was deathly quiet without the braided American bouncing in and out of its rooms, constantly pestering his comrades. 

/ Why's my concentration so off today? Hn. It's probably just that I'm so used to always having Duo around, it's just too quiet without him. Matte! Why the hell does this make a difference to me? Duo is more of a distraction then even Relena! It's not like I care about him…but then what the hell do I feel for him? /

Heero looks around the room; Duo's side is tidy thanks to Quatre. It just feels weird.

/ Kuso. I shouldn't be acting this way! I have work to do and it doesn't really matter what I feel /

__

That never learns to dance

"Please Heero?" Quatre pleaded. "We have no missions or anything else to do. You've tinkered with Wing Zero for hours now, why don't you just come on. We're going to this place in the city that Duo knows."

"Yeah it's a real cool club," the braided pilot pleaded as well. "You need to take a break and just let loose ne?"

Heero didn't even look down from the cockpit of Zero. "It'd be a risk to go into the city like that," he stolidly replied. 

"Come on!" Duo yelled from below. Quatre turned to see Trowa and Wufei both waiting at the hangar doors. "We even got Wufei to come! And you know how hard it is to get that guy to even come out of his room on Friday nights. Besides we'll just be regular civilians for tonight. Come on Hee-chan!"

"I really don't feel like it. Just shut up or omae o korosu," was the response he got.

It's the dream, afraid of waking;

The deep violet eyes were a little confused when Heero didn't even flinch. Duo had just confessed to Heero how he felt about him. Suddenly Heero leaned forward and gently kissed Duo on the lips, surprised the American pulled away and stared into the cobalt heavens that said 'Don't worry. I love you'. Then he leaned back into the kiss as Heero enveloped him into a gentle embrace. Duo reveled in the pleasure of Heero as the Wing pilot began exploring the recesses of Duo's mouth with his tongue. Duo felt Heero's hands on his chest they tickled and played a tantalizing, nerve wrecking dance before dipping lower and then…

…the alarm went off and duo awoke to the morning dawn. In his normal spot at the desk Heero worked at his laptop. Duo touched his mouths with his hand. 

****

/ Forever and only a dream…how I wish it would come true someday/

__

That never takes a chance

Duo's snoring was growing louder by the minute. Heero turned to see the Deathscythe pilot wriggling in his bed sheets. Heero softly grunted and turned away. Duo's outrageously loud snoring had already summoned an angry and sleep deprived Wufei into a fit and he had asked Heero twice to 'shut up that baka'. Heero looked again at Duo who had now kicked the sheets to the floor. Heero caught his breath as he gazed at Shinigami laid out only in tight black boxers. Shaking his head again Heero turned back to his work. He didn't even want to start thinking about Duo.

/ Why do I get so distracted by him? He's just a nuisance…right? Then why the hell do I constantly find myself thinking about him? Shimatta, I'm doing it again. I don't know what exactly it is but I can't let it interfere with the missions_ / _And taking a deep breath he returned to his work.

__

It's the one who won't be taken,

Epyon's Beam Saber crashed into the heavy shield that Wing Zero fiercely brought up to defend itself with. Parrying with a quick blow Heero knocked the menacing enemy away for a moment only to have it lunge back fiercely. The Heat Rod sank into the outer hull of Libra and Wing Zero dashed at Epyon. 

Meanwhile Duo watched with sweat running down his face as the battle images appeared on his monitor. Heero had to win…he just needed to survive.

__

Who cannot seem to give

"Damnit Duo why don't you just leave me alone?"

Duo reeled back in a moment's surprise from Heero's anger. It'd only been a joke.

"I need to get this information for the mission. And you're driving my insane! So will you give me back my keyboard?"

Duo handed said item back, looking into the angry cobalt eyes. He hadn't meant to upset Heero.

"You should start thinking before acting," Heero continued. "This work is really important and I need to get it done soon."

****

/ Not as important as me I guess /

"Gomen Heero," Duo's voice was sad and dejected. Heero noticed but didn't say anything as Duo quickly left the room, silently closing the door behind him.

/ Duo…why do you even give a damn about me? I'm just a cold-hearted killer. Nice guys like you shouldn't have to be hurt because of bastards like I. I guess *I'm* the real pain /

__

And the soul, afraid of dyin',

Wing takes aim at the OZ shuttle as it blasts away from the New Edwards base. Launching into the air and drawing its Beam Saber, Wing moves away as the Deathscythe stands below, looking up after it.

__

That never learns to live

"Hahaha! You should have seen it! That garbage mobile doll never even saw me coming and then SLASH! I just chopped its head off! Those mobile dolls were about as confused as Wufei at a Feminine Rights Demonstration."

Quatre draped his arms around Trowa's neck as they sit and listen to Duo. Wufei mutters something about 'injustice' and 'onna'. Duo and Quatre burst into laughter and even Trowa cracks a slight smile. All five pilots were lounging in a safehouse living room. Outside soft rain echoed on the window pains. 

"Kisama Maxwell," Wufei mutters, leaning back in a chair, "You take war too lightly. Just people should be the ones fighting and…"

Duo threw a piece of popcorn at the Chinese warrior, catching him off balance and sending him to the floor in a heap of flailing limbs and curses. Everyone laughs, even Trowa. Wufei picks himself off the floor and brushes the sleeves of his prized tang outfit as Heero stands up and walks past the laughing crowd. 

Wufei noticed that it was Duo's loud manic laughter that was the first to be snubbed out as Heero walked by, an expression of…well, Wufei never knew what Heero's emotions showed. Almost as quickly as Duo's, Quatre and Trowa's laughs stopped as well. The four now sat in strange silence, as Heero walked up the stairs towards his room.

__

  
When the night has been too lonely,

****

/ The moon is so beautiful from here. In space it looks too dark and ominous, almost like a huge, lingering threat that glares down at you from above/ 

Duo lay on the breast of the Deathscythe, watching the twinkling heavens above, but mostly the moon. The warm Pacific wind ruffled his shirt as he gazed into the starry expanse that was his home. The salvage business had decreased rapidly after the war ended. Duo sighed as he realized that it had been a very long time since he had looked at the moon like this, time all to himself but no effect on himself. He'd spent almost a month with Howard in the Sweepers….

****

/ A month? I haven't heard from Heero in almost two. I thought that being away from him might make me see that maybe he wasn't worth all the trouble but…I was a baka for ever thinking that. I love him even more, miss him even more. I wish he'd call or write a letter or at least attempt to keep in touch with me. I wonder if he cares…/

__

And the road has been too long

Heero sighed as he lay down on his bed; he had been working all day, one of the few jobs he had come across in the past month since he had left for L4. The war was over, a soldier was of no use, Wing Zero was in a museum and Heero had finally moved away from the other pilots. Turning he glanced out his window at the moon. It was intimidating and up close, sort of sticking its nose into his business, teasing, shimmering, it was almost a nuisance. But, Heero smiled, it was beautiful. He wondered how the others were doing. Wufei had moved to Beijing and almost never kept in touch. Trowa and Quatre had been living at the Winner residence and Duo… he had gone back to the Earth. Heero wondered what it had been that caused the Deathscythe pilot to leave so suddenly. And after that Heero had found that the large residence was just too strange, too quiet. Quatre and Trowa were there of course, but Heero eventually decided that he was more of a hindrance. So he had left, gotten little jobs here and there on L4. Heero pulled the covers over himself and went off to sleep. 

__

And you think that love is only  
For the lucky and the strong

The decorate letter fell to the floor and made no noise what so ever as it did so. Heero bent over and picked it up, reread it and fumbling, placed it on his nightstand. 

/ They're getting married…I haven't heard from Wufei since, well its been more than two months now. Him and Sally are getting married! Damn I would never have thought for a second that that baka would ever manage to get her. Of course she always loved him but I always thought that….that he'd drive her away, make her stop loving him. … What a thing to think! I should be happy for them! They've found happiness in each other. So why do I feel so empty right now? I…I think its time I come to terms with my emotions…/

__

Just remember in the winter  
Far beneath the bitter snows

The ceremony was over and Heero had just sat down at one of the guest tables when a sharp slap to the back caught him off guard. Turning in his chair he looked up to see Duo standing over him, a smile spread across his face, the way Heero always remembered him. Heero stood up and offered out a hand towards the self proclaimed Shinigami. Duo blinked for a second and then embraced his startled friend in a hug, slapping the Wing pilot on the back. For what seemed like an eon the two held their embrace until Duo quickly pulled back and grinned.

"Well, it's about time," Duo's manic grin was only ceasing when he talked and even then one could notice the happiness radiating from his face. "Guess its harder to keep in touch than we thought ne?"

Heero nodded only slightly as the two sat down next to each other and turned their attention to the festivities.

****

/ He didn't even show the smallest bit of feeling at seeing me. I could have been an 8-foot sloth and he would probably have responded the same. Shimatta Heero! I wish you could realize how much I love you! I wish I could crack you cold cobalt mask and reach out into the lovely human being I know is in you. I…/

Duo snapped back to the real world as he finally noticed that Heero had been staring straight at him for an indeterminable amount of time. He gestured to the Perfect Soldier his feelings of confusion because Wufei had begun singing a song in the center of the room and Duo dared not interrupt. Heero pushed his hand across the table and pushed a small container towards Duo. Quickly grabbing it to make sure noone saw Duo quickly scanned the note on top.'Certain things take time,' it read. 'I'm sorry to have caused you such pain in past time but now I've come to realize something in myself and I promise that in the future time will be only one of the many things I wish to share with you.'

__

Lies the seed, that with the sun's love,  
In the spring becomes the rose.

Duo's heart beat in his chest like a woodpecker on a birch. He looked up from the note and into Heero's deep cobalt eyes, but. But now something was there, replacing the normal cold, shining with a light that Duo had only seen in his dreams. Holding his breath he opened the small container and breathed out suddenly in a loud gasp. Trowa turned to see what was the matter but Duo didn't notice. And even if he had the chances that the braided American would have cared were about nil. Tears were forming in the violet wells of Duo's eyes. They concentrated only on the beautiful golden ring, sparkling from inside of the box. For the first time in a long time tears slowly trickled down the Deathscythe pilot's face. For the first time in his life tears of joy fell onto the elaborate white tablecloth in front of Duo. Slowly the Prussian gems moved their focus from the ring to their warm cobalt mates with an expression of joy unlike any Heero had seen before. They seemed ready to wake from the dream that now was reality. Heero seemed to read his koiboto's mind as he reached out a hand and gently pinched Duo on his wrist. Duo opened his mouth but for a change no sound came out. Heero's lips formed a smile and then parted.

"Ai shiteiru."

__

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wufei:………………..

M:……………………

Wufei: Did you just write a fic with a happy ending??? 

M: I…I guess I did…wow…that took a lot more effort than I thought but now it's done.

Wufei: And nobody died and there was a happy ending! Amazing!

M: Well, minna-san I guess that that's all for now. I know I haven't been writing much lately but from now on I'll be doing a lot more writing. If you have any comments or criticisms then e-mail them to me.

Wufei: ::clears throat:: I would like to point out that I do not have a bad singing voice.

M: Of course you do! Have you ever listened to any of your songs? They're absolute trash!

Wufei: Kisama! You weak, cowardly, craven baka I shall have Nataku bring justice down on you!

M: ::causes a giant herring to fall on Wufei's head sending him to the floor::

Wufei: Itai! That was cheap you have the advantage of being the writer! Injustice…. ::passes out::

M:………………::sweatdrop::…………..Err…that's all for now…Domo minna-san!

   [1]: mailto:MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com



End file.
